MVC Track & Field Weekly Honors (Feb. 18)
ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Valley Conference revealed the men’s and women’s track and field weekly honors on Wednesday. Bradley’s Jamie Phillips was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, Illinois State’s Seth Nelson earned Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors, Murray State’s Serena Blackwood was selected Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, and Indiana State’s Aliseonna Garnett received Women’s Field Athlete of the Week recognition.
MEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Jamie Phillips, Bradley, Soph., Troon, Scotland
Jamie Phillips broke the 800m program record, running 1:47.22 in the Men's 800m Invite at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. The sophomore from Scotland broke his own record of 1:48.34, set at last year's Meyo Invitational, by over a full second. The time is the fastest not only in the Missouri Valley Conference, but also in the Midwest Region. It is also the 26th-fastest time in NCAA Division I.
MEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Seth Nelson, Illinois State, Jr., Boise, ID
Nelson captured his third event win of the year in the pole vault, clearing 5.20m at the Blue Demon Alumni Classic last Friday. The junior leads the MVC in the event and is tied for 12th in the Midwest Region. He previously took home first in the pole vault event at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup and the Larry Wieczorek Invitational, where he broke the ISU program record with a personal-best mark of 5.30m.
WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Serena Blackwood, Murray State, Soph., Cambridge, England
Serena Blackwood of Murray State won the 60-meter at the Indoor Music City Challenge hosted by Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. The Cambridge, England native also set a school record with her time of 7.35 seconds.
WOMEN'S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Aliseonna Garnett, Indiana State, Jr., Indianapolis, IN
Aliseonna Garnett posted two of her top marks this season in the throws events at the Music City Challenge, with her marks of 15.27m (50-1.25) in the shot put and 18.66m (61-2.75) in the weight throw. The Indianapolis native finished third out of 31 competitors in the weight throw, while also finishing sixth in the invite section of the shot put. Garnett’s marks in both events were her second-best this season, eclipsing the 15-meter mark in the shot put for the second time this campaign while recording her third weight throw mark over the 18.50-meter mark this season. She leads the MVC in the shot put this season while also ranking second in the conference in the weight throw. In addition, Garnett ranks eighth in the Great Lakes Region and 62nd nationally in the shot put, while also sitting 14th in the region in the weight throw.